Tools Return & Refund Policy

This Return & Refund Policy is the platform-run return flow for worldwide-shipped orders on the Tools Marketplace — the orders processed through Stripe. It is an addendum to the Tools Marketplace Terms, the Buyer Terms, the Seller Agreement, and the Chargeback Policy. For rentals, the Rental Terms apply in place of this document.

Your consumer-law rights in your country of residence always apply on top of this policy and are never reduced by it.

1. Scope — worldwide Stripe-processed orders only

Because ChefSphere processes payment only for worldwide-shipped sales, the platform-run refund mechanism described here is available only for those orders. For cash-settled in-person sales and rentals, ChefSphere does not hold money and cannot issue a refund; any dispute is resolved directly between the parties (section 13).

2. The 30-day return window

Every physical-good worldwide order has a 30-day return window starting at delivery.

• Deadline enforcement. The return deadline is validated against NTP-synchronised time (not the browser clock and not the server's local clock). This prevents either side from bypassing the 30-day limit by changing their device clock.
• Late requests are refused. A return request initiated after 30 calendar days is rejected with message "Return window expired. Order is N days old (maximum 30 days allowed)".
• Consumer-law rights. EU consumers retain the 14-day right of withdrawal under Directive 2011/83/EU and the conformity rights under Directive (EU) 2019/771. Where those rights give a more favourable outcome, the Buyer benefits from the more favourable rule.

3. How to request a return

1. Open the order in the ChefSphere app, tap Request a return, and select the items and reason.
2. Attach photos of the issue (damaged parcel, wrong item, missing accessories, condition mismatch, not-as-described, defective, etc.) and add a short note.
3. Submit the request. The Seller is notified immediately.

The return request creates a Return record with its own return number, the original order amount in scope, the currency, the return type (FULL_RETURN or PARTIAL_RETURN), and the list of items.

4. Seller decision

Three possible decisions:

4.1 APPROVED

The Seller accepts the return. The Seller may set:

• a restocking fee (hard cap at 50 % of the order value — section 6);
• a return-shipping cost that the Buyer will bear (cannot exceed the order value — section 6);
• a seller response (optional, encrypted at rest).

On approval, the system writes:

• ReturnDecision = APPROVED, ReturnStatus = APPROVED, approvedAt timestamp;
• refundAmount = originalAmount − restockingFee − returnShippingCost;
• the return-shipping method: SELLER_LABEL if a prepaid label is attached; otherwise BUYER_SHIPS if a return address is set.

Items flip to status INSPECTING. The Seller has:

• 5 days to inspect the returned item (inspectionDeadline); if missed, the status escalates to INSPECTION_OVERDUE.
• 7 days total to conclude inspection (finalInspectionDeadline); missing this triggers the auto-refund in section 7.

4.2 DENIED (refused)

The Seller refuses the return. The denial reason must be at least 10 characters of free text. On denial:

• ReturnDecision = DENIED, ReturnStatus = DENIED, deniedAt timestamp;
• the reserve hold is released;
• no further action is needed from the Buyer unless they choose to escalate through the Chargeback Policy or open a dispute with ChefSphere support ([email protected]).

A denial is subject to Buyer-side review: if we find that the denial was unreasonable (clearly defective item, not-as-described), the decision can be overridden and the refund processed from the Seller's reserve.

4.3 Partial approval (PARTIAL_RETURN)

For multi-item orders the Seller can decide per item. Per-item decisions carry the same restocking / shipping-cost rules as a full return, pro-rated. When every item is processed, the overall return transitions to APPROVED and the Seller's inspection timer begins.

5. Return shipping

5.1 Seller-provided label (SELLER_LABEL)

The Seller attaches a prepaid label (generated through Shippo where available). The Buyer receives a PDF of the label and tracking information. Return shipping cost borne by the party agreed during approval.

5.2 Buyer ships (BUYER_SHIPS)

The Seller supplies a return address and shipping instructions. The Buyer books the return carrier and records the tracking number in the app.

5.3 Seller pickup (SELLER_PICKUP)

Where the Seller has agreed to collect in person or through a courier, a SELLER_PICKUP method is used. A return address line 1 is required.

5.4 Ship-back timer

The Seller can set a ship-back deadline (in days) by which the Buyer must hand the parcel to the carrier. Deadlines below 1 day are rejected.

6. Fee caps on an approved return

To keep returns fair, the platform enforces hard caps on Seller-side charges (validated against the original order amount):

• Restocking fee ≤ 50 % of the original order amount.
• Return-shipping cost charged to the Buyer ≤ the original order amount.
• Combined deductions < order value. The Buyer must always receive at least 10 % of the original order value as refund.

If the Seller tries to charge more, the action is refused with an error that names the cap.

7. Seller inspection and auto-refund (the 5-day and 7-day timers)

• Day 0 — approval, inspection timers set.
• Day 5 — inspectionDeadline. If the Seller has not acted, status escalates to INSPECTION_OVERDUE; the Seller is notified urgently.
• Day 7 — finalInspectionDeadline. If the Seller still has not acted, the scheduler auto-refunds the Buyer:
  • refund is the FULL original amount (not the reduced amount);
  • restocking fee is set to 0;
  • return shipping cost is set to 0;
  • auto-refund is flagged with reason "Seller failed to inspect within 7-day deadline";
  • the Stripe refund is created on the original payment intent.

The auto-refund runs on a 15-minute cadence. The Seller's reserve funds the refund; if reserve is insufficient, the Seller enters a negative balance (Fee Schedule section 4).

8. Refund flow and split

When a return is approved and inspected:

• Buyer refund = original amount − restocking − return shipping.
• The refund returns to the Buyer via the original payment method. Stripe timelines apply (typically 5 – 10 banking days for cards).
• Platform fee (15 %) is refunded to the Buyer proportionally using the actual application-fee refund reported by Stripe. Platform does not keep the 15 % of a refunded transaction.
• Seller settlement draws from the reserve; the Seller keeps the 85 % share of the restocking fee. Shipping collected at checkout is not refunded to the Buyer and the Seller keeps its 85 % share.
• Cart returns (multi-item) sum all items and produce a single refund transaction record.

9. Cancellations before shipment

A Buyer can cancel a worldwide order that has not yet been shipped through the order page.

• The authorisation is released by Stripe without a manual refund when possible.
• If the capture has already happened, a full refund is issued. The platform fee of 15 % is fully refunded to the Buyer (the platform keeps nothing).

10. Manual review

Refunds ≥ €500 are routed to manual review by Trust & Safety. Manual review adds up to 24 hours but does not change the final amount.

11. Abuse

• Chargebacks before a return request are treated as abuse — see the Chargeback Policy.
• Repeated cancellations after the item shipped, or serial refund claims above the platform-wide ceilings in the Fee Schedule, result in account restrictions.
• Buyers who damage items and request full refunds without disclosing the damage are liable for the difference and may be blocked from the Marketplace.

12. Non-returnable items

Some items are excluded from the 30-day platform return window because they cannot reasonably be returned in a saleable condition, subject to mandatory consumer-law rights (in particular the exceptions in Article 16 of EU Directive 2011/83/EU on the right of withdrawal):

• Custom or bespoke tools made or engraved to the Buyer's specification;
• Items sealed for hygiene or food-safety reasons that have been unsealed after delivery (e.g. sealed blender jars, vacuum-sealed sous-vide bags, certain silicone bakeware);
• Tools modified by the Buyer beyond what the Seller authorised;
• Perishable consumables sold with a tool (yeast cultures, probiotic starters, food-grade lubricants with a short shelf life);
• Digital codes or activation keys sold alongside a smart appliance once the code has been revealed;
• Tools that have been used beyond what is necessary to test conformity, in a way that a reasonable Buyer could not sell as second-hand (e.g. a knife sharpener visibly sharpened dozens of times);
• Large custom-built equipment that required on-site installation the Seller does not offer to reverse;
• Recalled or safety-updated items that must be destroyed under a recall order rather than returned.

The Seller must mark such listings explicitly before checkout, stating the reason the item is non-returnable and any local consumer-law carve-out that still applies. Where the Seller did not mark the listing, the default 30-day platform window applies in full. The 14-day EU withdrawal right and the 2-year legal guarantee of conformity (for B2C sales with a professional Seller) remain available against the Seller directly, subject to the statutory exclusions.

12a. How to exercise a return against the Seller (consumer-law path)

In addition to the in-app return flow in sections 3 – 8, a consumer Buyer dealing with a professional Seller can exercise the 14-day right of withdrawal and the 2-year legal guarantee of conformity directly against the Seller using any clear statement (letter, email, in-app message) sent before the deadline.

12a.1 Model withdrawal form (Annex I(B) of Directive 2011/83/EU)

Pursuant to Art. 6(1)(h) and Annex I of the Consumer Rights Directive, the statutory model withdrawal form is included in the order-confirmation email delivered to the Buyer on a durable medium, and is also hosted at /legal/tools/withdrawal-form as a standalone page in every supported language. Using the model form is not compulsory — any unambiguous statement of withdrawal is sufficient — but completing the form is the simplest way for the Buyer to prove the date on which notice was given.

12a.2 Seller refund timing (Art. 13 CRD)

Where the Buyer withdraws under Art. 9 CRD, the Seller must reimburse all payments received from the Buyer — including the standard cost of outbound delivery, but not any supplementary delivery option the Buyer chose above the standard — without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day the Seller is informed of the Buyer's decision to withdraw (Art. 13(1) CRD). The reimbursement is made using the same means of payment the Buyer used for the initial transaction unless the Buyer has expressly agreed otherwise; no fees may be charged for the reimbursement (Art. 13(1) in fine CRD). The Seller may withhold the reimbursement until the Seller has received the goods back or until the Buyer has supplied evidence of having sent them back, whichever is earlier (Art. 13(3) CRD).

12a.3 Parallel paths

Exercising the CRD paths above does not remove the Buyer's ability to use the in-app 30-day platform return flow in parallel for a worldwide-shipped order. Where both paths are available, the Buyer gets the more favourable outcome.

13. In-person sales and rentals — no platform-run refund

Because an in-person cash sale or a cash rental never flows through ChefSphere, there is no platform-run refund flow for these orders. If the Buyer or Renter discovers a problem after the cash has changed hands:

• At the meet-up, refuse the transaction before paying; walk away if the tool is not as described.
• After the meet-up, contact the Seller/Owner through the in-app chat and reach an agreement directly. The Seller/Owner may refund you in cash voluntarily.
• If the Seller/Owner is a professional (a business acting in its trade), mandatory consumer-law rights (for example conformity of goods under Directive (EU) 2019/771 in the EU) apply between you and the Seller/Owner. You may need to enforce them through small-claims court or a consumer-protection authority in your country.
• Trust & Safety. Report the incident to [email protected]. ChefSphere can remove listings, suspend accounts, and preserve evidence (chat, photos, timestamps), but cannot order a cash refund.
• Police. Clear fraud (counterfeit cash, taking payment for a stolen item, refusing to hand over after payment) is a criminal matter and should be reported to law enforcement.

14. Changes

We will post a new version when the return window, fee caps, inspection timers, or applicable consumer-law rules change materially. Material changes take effect 30 days after in-app and email notice, unless a shorter period is required by law or an imminent safety concern, and apply to orders placed after the effective date.

15. Contact

• Worldwide returns & refund support: [email protected]
• Billing / payout issues (worldwide): [email protected]
• Trust & safety escalations (all flows): [email protected]
• Legal notices: [email protected]